A father-of-five has died following a farm accident in Co Clare, the second in the county in a fortnight.
Gerry O’Connell, 57, was found dead under his tractor near a shed adjacent to the church and graveyard at Ballyea, shortly before 10pm on Wednesday.
It is understood Mr O’Connell was last seen alive at around 7pm when he left his home to move cattle from his uncle’s land to sloblands close to the Shannon Estuary.
It is believed he had been moving cattle from a shed into a trailer when he was crushed by a tractor just 700 metres from his home.
One local said: “This is a terrible tragedy and the family is devastated. One of the girls (daughter) had been up around 9pm when there was no sign of him coming home. She saw the tractor at the shed and it was still running and there was no suggestion there was anything wrong.”
It’s understood that family members returned to check on Mr O’Connell a short time later and he was discovered beneath the tractor.
The emergency services and gardaí responded to the incident. Mr O’Connell was, however, pronounced dead at the scene.
Read the full story via Father-of-five crushed in latest farming accident | Irish Examiner.
